Today I’m excited to introduce you to fellow North East author Daniel James, whose debut book, The Unauthorised Biography of Ezra Maas, is mind-bendingly intriguing.
In fact, I spent a fair chunk of last weekend following it down the rabbit hole…read on to find out more!
Tell us a little about your book and how you came to write it.
“Ezra Maas is dead. The famously reclusive artist vanished without a trace seven years ago whilst working on his final masterpiece, but his body was never found. While the Maas foundation prepares to announce his death, journalist Daniel James finds himself hired to write the untold story of the artist’s life – But this is no ordinary book. The deeper James delves into the myth of Ezra Maas, the more he is drawn into a nightmarish world of fractured identities and sinister doubles.
“The Unauthorised Biography of Ezra Maas combines postmodern noir with biography, letters, phone transcripts, documents, emails and newspaper clippings to create a chilling literary labyrinth.”
That’s the official cover text and it does a very good job of describing the book. As for how I came to write it, the novel started with a phone call in the dead of night towards the end of my career as an investigative journalist. It was that anonymous tip-off that put me on the trail of the visionary artist Ezra Maas and one of the art world’s greatest mysteries. The book took almost seven years to research, write and publish, and took me around the world, from London, Paris and Berlin, to New York and Los Angeles, everywhere Maas lived and worked during his controversial career, as I interviewed those who knew him (or claimed to have known him), and tried to discover the truth about his life through nearly six decades of secret history.
What makes your book unique?
Ezra Maas. This is the first and only book to reveal the truth about his life, his career as a radical artist and his eventual disappearance. He is a unique person – an enigmatic recluse and artistic visionary who was somehow everywhere and nowhere in the second half of the 20th Century. In many ways, Maas is too big, too multi-faceted, too contradictory as a subject to be contained in a traditional book, so my approach was to create a biography that was as radical, experimental and unorthodox as the man himself. The novel, like Maas, has many layers. The narrative cuts back and forth between my investigation in the present day and chapters from the biography from 1950 onwards. Between these chapters are news clippings, emails, phone transcripts, letters and other records. There are also more than 500 footnotes throughout the book, including commentary and observations from my editor. The novel was purposely constructed as a maze for readers to navigate, mirroring how I felt while searching for the truth about Maas, and drawing readers into the investigation, challenging them to separate fact from fiction. Everyone who opens the book becomes a part of the story. I learned this the hard way and for this reason, the novel starts with a very real warning: “This book is dangerous.”
Which part of being published were you most excited about before your book came out?
I think it was probably being able to walk into a bookstore and find my novel on the shelves. I daydreamed about doing that for more than 20 years so to be able to do it for real was an incredibly special and exciting feeling. Unboxing the book and holding it in my hand for the first time after it arrived from the printer was also something I had imagined over and over. There have been lots of special moments, from my launch at Forum Books, to my events at Newcastle City Library, Waterstones Newcastle, and Newcastle Noir. I feel very lucky. Unexpectedly, one of the very best feelings of all has been reading reviews from book bloggers and readers. I still remember the very first independent review I had from a book blogger (thank you, Jackie Law). It was nothing short of exhilarating to read a five-star review of a book I had spent years of my life writing. It felt like I had made it.
What has been the most challenging part of your journey to publication?
Writing the novel is the easiest part of the publication process in many ways. Mainly because you’re doing what you love and because it’s the part of the process where you have the most control. It will still be hard work sometimes, especially if, like many of us, you’re writing a novel around a full-time job, raising a family and other commitments. It can be exhausting finding the time and energy to write and there will be days when it just isn’t happening, but you have to keep going because like most things that require hard work and sacrifice, it is worth it. Writing a novel is as much about endurance as anything else. How much do you want it? How much can you take without giving up? There’s an anonymous quote, which I included in the novel, that sums up how I felt at the end of the process and that’s ‘I gave everything, and it took everything’.
I naively believed that once I’d finished the book, everything after that would be easier. It wasn’t. In fact, it just got harder. Depending on the publisher you end up signing with and the level of support they provide (or don’t provide), you could find yourself having to manage your own publicity and be your own agent, organise your own launch, events and appearances, send out review copies of your book, liaise with journalists and bookstores, and more – you’ll not just be doing your own job as an author, you’ll be doing about half a dozen other people’s jobs as well. That’s the business of being an author and it’s the part that most aspiring writers probably don’t think about going in. It’s really important to find the right publisher because once you sign the contract, your novel becomes a collaboration. What if they don’t really understand it and want to change large parts of it? What if they publish it, but have no plans to promote it? That’s why writing the book is the easy part and everything after that is harder – because you’re no longer in control of your own work anymore. All the more reason to do your research into potential publishers and agents before saying yes to the first deal that comes along.
For me personally, there were a long list of challenges, setbacks and obstacles (many of which I’m still up against), from legal battles and death threats, disagreements with editors, changes in publisher, a lack of support when I needed it, and much more – pretty much you name it, I had to deal with it. At the same time, I learned a huge amount about the business, I stuck to my guns throughout, and I came out the other side as a published author, with a novel I’m incredibly proud of, so as hard as it was, it was definitely worth it.
Do you have a writing mentor, or someone who has influenced your work?
I don’t have a mentor as such, but so many people have supported and helped me over the years in different ways – writers, artists, academics, journalists, teachers, colleagues, friends, family. I’ve tried to learn from all of them. In terms of other writers and artists who have helped my career, Bryan Talbot has always been incredibly generous with his time. We first met while I was a journalist and he has gone above and beyond to help, support and encourage my writing over the years.
If there was one book that you could have written, other than your own, what would it be and why?
That’s a hard question to answer. I could easily say Ulysses, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, The Big Sleep, His Dark Materials, Don’t Let The Pigeon Drive the Bus, or another classic, but the truth is there isn’t another book I wish I’d written. I just want to write my own books.
What advice would you give to other writers hoping to publish a novel?
If you love to write, and if publishing a novel is what you want more than anything, then my advice is to never give up. Keep writing and keep believing in yourself. Never give up, because that’s the only thing that will prevent you from fulfilling your dream. There are so many barriers, so many obstacles, so much you will be up against out there in the world, that you really have to want it more than anything – you’ve got to have an almost tunnel vision-like obsession with achieving it, but if you keep going, if you keep writing and keep believing in yourself, you will get there.
My other advice would be:
- Look after yourself, body and mind, because it’s a lonely road and a hard road.
- Don’t pay too much attention to how other writers work and how they’ve become successful. Instead, find what works for you and do that. At the same time, talk to other writers in the same position as you and support each other.
- Be prepared for it to be much harder than you thought. And be aware that, even after you have been published, it doesn’t get any easier.
- Do your research when it comes to publishers and agents, don’t necessarily say yes to the first deal that comes along, and go into any arrangement with your eyes open. I’d recommend speaking to The Society of Authors to ask if they’ve heard anything (good or bad) about a publisher you’re speaking to. They can also advise their members on author contracts and other matters.
- This is a common one, but if you’re writing books to make money, then there are many easier and better ways to make a living than writing. You’ve got to have a different motivation for writing because you’re unlikely to make any money out of it.
- Say thank you. The writing community is full of lovely people so remember to say thank you when they help you.
- Be kind. Help people wherever you can. Give other writers and artists the same help that you would like to receive, not out of some sense of literary or artistic karma, but because it’s the right thing to do.
- Enjoy the ride. You’re doing what you love after all and being a published author comes with lots of highs and special moments that will last a lifetime – finding your novel on the shelf in a bookstore, seeing a great review in a newspaper or book blog, reading from your work at a sold out event and signing copies for readers afterwards. These incredible moments, and more like them, make all the hard work and tough moments worthwhile, so make sure you enjoy every second.
Is there a debut novel you’re particularly looking forward to reading in 2019?
I have Ironopolis by Glen James Brown on my To Be Read list. Glen reviewed Ezra Maas earlier in the year and I’m looking forward to returning the favour as I’ve heard great things about his book. I’ve just added your novel, The Disappeared, to my list too, after reading several reviews comparing it to George Orwell’s classic Nineteen Eighty-Four, which is one of my favourite books.
About the author
Daniel James is a debut author and controversial journalist from Newcastle. He lives in a house by the sea with four cats and a collection of empty bourbon bottles.
You can buy his book, The Unauthorised Biography of Ezra Maas, from Amazon, Waterstones and other retailers. Find out more about the author by visiting his website, or follow him on Twitter.